21 Responses to Public Health Care for Thee, But Not for Me

Tito,
He is going to have to pay for this surgery, which we all know is scandalous given that it is a human right. In Canada, it would be free! Now, it is true that he might be dead before it is available, but at least he would be entitled to full coverage and treated equally with other Canadians, which is only a matter of human dignity. In the US some people might not have the resources to access such surgery, and yet we allow the privileged rich to benefit from a quality of care not available to others. Justice requires equality! Human beings must be accorded equal treatment, except for congress critters who are more human than others and therefore more equal.

“Dr. Robert Roberts, University of Ottawa Heart Institute president, told CTV News Channel’s Power Play that there are no wait times for cardiac surgery in Canada.
“Canada . . . gives superb (cardiac) care,” he said. “Our statistics for complications in surgery are comprisable to the very best in the U.S.”

Why does my posting make you so angry? So..O.K. I am a Lutheran and do tend to be more liberal than most conservative Lutherans here in the Midwest..but such anger for posting a couple of dueling Canadian facts is a bit reactive. Well..I’m off to see what the Baptists blogs are like.
Just call me
The Duke of Dubuque

No one is angry with you Anonymous. You simply refused to attempt to explain why the Newfie premier is coming to the US for heart surgery if everything is hunky dory with cardiac surgery in public care in Canada.

“You simply refused to attempt to explain why the Newfie premier is coming to the US for heart surgery if everything is hunky dory with cardiac surgery in public care in Canada.”

Note, not needed, wanted. Does you insurance cover surgery you want but do not need?

He did need surgery, and he could have gotten surgery, but the particular technique he wanted leaves a smaller scar. That he could not get in his province, and most Canadian doctors do not recommend it.

“No wait times yet the link you posted show’s a wait time average of just under five (5) weeks.”

It shows an *average* of just under 5 weeks for *hospitals*. Several doctors have wait times of less than a week, yet one has a wait time of 11 weeks? Why would anyone wait 11 weeks when he could have the surgery in less than one week? Could it be people wait longer for the best doctor?

Are all doctors in the US the best doctor? Are all the children above average?

Some hospitals have a nearly 5 week wait, one less than 2 weeks. Funny that the hospital with the longer wait has the doctors with the longer wait time. Maybe they are just the best?

“He did need surgery, and he could have gotten surgery, but the particular technique he wanted leaves a smaller scar. That he could not get in his province, and most Canadian doctors do not recommend it.”

Actually Williams said that his doctors recommended that he have the surgery outside of the province. He also made this statement that indicates that wait times for treatment was a factor “I would’ve been criticized if I had stayed in Canada and had been perceived as jumping a line or a wait list .… I accept that. That’s public life,” he said.”

As for wait times, here is a list from the provincial government of Ontario regarding wait times for various types of surgery.